The 2012 Barbaresco Riserva Vigneto Gallina (Magnum) has aged quite well. Medium in body, with fine detail, the 2012 is impeccably balanced from start to finish. Pretty floral and spice notes play off a core of dark red-toned fruit. There's more oak flavor and tannin than the wines of today, but this is very good.

La Spinetta's 2010 Barbaresco Riserva Vigneto Gallina (Magnum) is still very young! Dark and sumptuous, the Gallina is a powerful wine. Ripe black cherry, dried herbs, spice, licorice and sweet new oak lend an extic flair. The Galina is always so intersting; it is the most understated of the three Barbarescos on release, and also the wine that ages the best. The 2010 has plenty of the flamboyence of this era at La Spinetta. It will drink beautifully for another decade or more.

The La Spinetta 2009 Barbaresco Riserva Gallina Vürsù (Magnum) is only made in large-format bottles and is released 10 years after the harvest. The Gallina cru is known for its balanced and fruit-forward wines that don't shy away in terms of structure. This release offers tight textural stitching with interwoven layers of dark fruit, spice, savory licorice, smoke and campfire ash. The tannins, both from the fruit and oak, already show full integration at this point.

The 2009 Barbaresco Riserva Gallina (magnum) is powerful, dense and explosive. As it always does, the Gallina puts on a ton of weight in the bottle. Black cherry, plum, smoke, cedar, chocolate, spice and leather give the 2009 a real felling of breadth and pure power. Plush, silky and flamboyant, the 2009 is gorgeous today, and has another decade plus of fine drinking still to offer. The dense, extracted style, the hallmark of a previous era at La Spinetta, is evident.

The 2008 Barbaresco Riserva Vigneto Gallina (magnum) is in a great spot for the drinking now. If anything, it is still too young. Dark cherry, plum, mocha, licorice, spice and menthol all flesh out in this decidedly virile, imposing Barbaresco. The oak remains present, and yet the 2008 is aging very, very gracefully, especially for such a big wine. But that is not entirely surprising, as the Gallina has always aged the best of the three La Spinetta Barbarescos. This is an impressive showing.

This is a neat little package - or big package, the case of this wine, because it is only magnum - with ripe, raisiny intensity and black fruit written all over it. It should be noted that the 2008 Barbaresco Riserva Gallina (Magnum) drifts a little flat and soft in the mouth at the moemnt, even after signifcant time in glass, but that almost seems irrelevant compared to the long-term picture here. This Riserva, built for the very long haul, promises to impress with its evolved floral and earthy tones that come through with clarity. The wine sees nearly three years of oak aging. A mere 600 magnum bottles were produced.

Only in the best vintages, La Spinetta releases magnum-only editions of its top wines. These wines are generally released ten years after the harvest following additional bottle aging (and one extra year of oak) under the most stringent conditions back at the winery. This year, one of these absolute gems is the 2007 Barbaresco Riserva Gallina (Magnum). I am a huge fan of the sheer elegance produced in this vineyard. This quality has been harnessed to perfection in the case of this wine. It is beautifully evolved, long and silky. Yet, the primary fruit sings loudest of all. This is a delightful achievement.

Amazing aromas of dried strawberry, leather and cedar. Shaved pencil. Perfumed. Full to medium body, fine tannins and a silky, refined finish. So right now. 1,000 magnums made.

Tasted from magnum, the 2005 Barbaresco Riserva Vigneto Gallina Vürsù will be released in September 2016. This is a spectacular wine that is aging very slowly, especially in this big bottle format. The Gallina vineyard consistently delivers a deeply fruit-forward profile and you definitely recognize that here. Despite its age, this Barbaresco offers a surprisingly fresh bouquet that is complex and nuanced at the same time. The mouthfeel is characterized by crunchy tannins and crisp freshness.

The 2005 Barbaresco Riserva Gallina (magnum) has come together beautifully since it was bottled. The tannins have begun to soften, while the flavors are just now beginning to show the first signs of tertiary complexity. Hints of tobacco, new leather, spices and menthol wrap around the fruit-driven finish.

This is very racy and linear in a fantastic sense. It's racy and silky with a beautiful backbone of tannins and fresh acidity, but it's dense and sexy with all the dried-strawberry, mineral and cedar character you could hope for. Magnums only. A triumph.

This wine was tasted in a magnum. The 2004 Barbaresco Riserva Vigneto Gallina offers sheer delight and power. The fine intensity and pristine quality of the bouquet could make you think the wine is younger than it really is. Smoked ham, licorice, dried flowers, rosehip, anise seed and balsam notes all stand to attention. The wine has evolved gracefully these past years and promises to continue down its glorious path. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2035.

The 2004 Barbaresco Riserva Gallina (magnum) is beautiful. Sweet herbs, menthol, tobacco, cinnamon, plums and red cherries wrap around the palate in a super-sexy, luscious Barbaresco loaded with personality. Tasted from magnum, the 2004 Riserva has barely budged. Readers lucky enough to own the magnums can look forward to another decade plus of exceptional drinking. The 2004 recalls a period in La Spinetta' s history when the wines were oakier, but now, after some years in bottle, all of the elements have come together nicely. A burst of super-ripe, opulent fruit rounds out the perfumed finish in this dazzling Barbaresco from La Spinetta.

Lovely aromas of berry, plum and hints of new wood follow through to a full-bodied palate, with silky tannins and a long finish. Refined and well done. 1,200 magnums made. Best after 2007. 200 cases made.

The 2001 Barbaresco Riserva Gallina, a rich dark ruby, opens with a beautiful floral nose accented by subtle hints of white truffle and earthiness. It is ripe and sweet on the palate, showing good depth as well as complexity, with a somewhat attenuated finish and youthful, firm tannins. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2015.